Few of us have been faced with the challenges we now confront as our nation and our community fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

In these dark and strange times, when our lives have changed and contracted, it will be the strength and support of others, the co-operation of all Australians, and the action of governments that help get us through this health and economic crisis.

As a city we are doing a great job, we are adapting and doing our best, and it's vital that we continue with this approach so we can flatten the curve.

We all owe a massive debt of gratitude to our frontline health workers who are working unimaginable hours to care for our community, often in difficult and potentially dangerous circumstances. They have our respect and our thanks.

As do the other people who continue to work each day - our council staff included - to deliver essential services to our community.

The roll call of our local heroes is enormous - from the people who deliver meals on wheels, childcare workers, those stocking supermarket shelves or collecting our rubbish, the cleaners, the pharmacists and the many, many others who are helping to keep our community functioning.

Our community is doing a creative job in supporting each other as many of us are staying at home.

Other local community leaders such as Commerce Ballarat, with its online business resources information, and Committee for Ballarat's Share the Care campaign are also at the forefront.

The reality of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it's intensely personal. Whether we contract the disease, or know someone who has, we've all been impacted - some worse than others.

Necessary measures brought in by governments to flatten the curve mean thousands of people have lost their jobs and their livelihoods, while countless others have seen their businesses crumble.

Ballarat has been hit hard, too. Governments at all levels - local, state and federal - are doing what they can to provide support.

Council is acutely aware of the difficulties being faced by our community. We're working to assist our residents and our business operators.

There have been suggestions council should waive rates for residents and businesses doing it hard. My response is that we will look at all hardship applications carefully and assess each individual case on its merit. We always do.

Unfortunately, even if it wanted to council does not have the capacity to waive rates across the board.

The reality is that rates are council's primary source of income. Rates are effectively a local government tax - just like the state and federal taxes you pay.

But council does not have the ability to increase rates or create additional fees like state and federal governments can. Your rates help pay for all the essential services council delivers including our Meals on Wheels service, which provides sustenance to thousands of vulnerable and at-risk residents in Ballarat every week.

Your rates help pay for waste collection and environmental health services, too. Without your rates it will be difficult, if not impossible to maintain these services. If you can afford to pay your rates, you should.

We've implemented a range of measures including an automatic extension of some permits, registrations and licences for a six-month period.

We've set up a dedicated economic response contact centre team to support businesses through this period and changed from a fortnightly to a weekly payment cycle for our suppliers to ensure money flows back into the local economy more quickly.

We're also looking at bringing forward minor capital work projects once non-essential movement bans are lifted to give the local economy a boost. Last week, I wrote to the Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek seeking financial support from government so council can afford to provide rate relief and longer extensions to businesses and ratepayers as we work through this crisis.

Council is also looking ahead to the time when COVID-19 has eased, to a time of recovery. We've formed the City of Ballarat Resource and Recovery Pandemic 2020 Unit to help business and vulnerable people through these tough times and then through the recovery period.

We want to make sure Ballarat bounces back bigger and better than ever.

I've been greatly heartened by evidence of generosity and kindness in our community as people of all ages seek to support each other during this difficult time.

Our Be Kind Ballarat is a shining example of how we can make life easier for each other.

Cr Ben Taylor is mayor of Ballarat